Imagining the then-youthful Loretta and the seemingly already elderly ET as a married couple was a pretty cockamamie and creepy idea, probably by someone in power at their mutual record label. Thankfully (both for good taste and for Loretta’s career) it didn’t last long.

Once again your lack of knowledge about country music history has been placed on full display by your own doing. Although many of the songs Ernest & Loretta sang were about dating or married couples no one at that time ever imagined that it was anything other than a musical performance. It was very apparent that they had mutual regard for each other. Loretta held deep respect for Ernest who was widely regarded as a country music icon when they first began recording together in 1964. You cannot view that pairing through the lens of today’s internet/tabloid culture where sexual overtones lurk behind every corner. Newcomer Loretta was already known as a wife & mother so there was no illusion otherwise. Loretta was pregnant with twin girls at their first recording session in March 1964.

Although the initial concept for Ernest to record duets with a female singer was instigated by Decca Records it was fully embraced by Ernest. The early 1960’s was an era of many successful male/female duos including Willie Nelson & Shirley Collie, George Jones & Margie Singleton, George Jones & Melba Montgomery and Buck Owens & Rose Maddox. Decca and Ernest saw an opportunity to partner with a female singer to take advantage of that trend. According to Loretta, Ernest was free to choose any female singer on the Decca roster as his duet partner. Ernest felt that Loretta’s solid country style would fit well with his traditional sound. Loretta recalled that Tubb chose her because he said she was “an honest country performer who sang with her heart and soul.” At the time of their first duet session Loretta had just scored her second top ten hit so selecting her was a leap of faith on Ernest’s part. She had not yet developed a successful track record of her own.

Though their singles achieved moderate chart success their duet albums sold quite well surpassing the sales of most of Tubb’s solo efforts at that time.Their most successful chart single was their first duet that peaked at #11 in Billboard in October 1964.

Only in the bizarre alternate universe of luckyoldsun would the Ernest Tubb & Loretta Lynn duets be regarded as some form of “creepiness.” It was only a musical performance and they sounded great together – period. Your singular oddball perception is completely off the mark again.

ET didn’t age well but he was only twenty years Loretta’s senior. He was also a venerated elder statesman of the genre who gave significant pushes to the careers of many up and comers of whom Loretta was but one. Loretta always held Ernest in high regard